Past
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Note some answers have been translated from their original language or altered by the request of the correspondent
| Tell us a short story about your background in science! Do you want to share an image or a video that represents your story as a tropical/subtropical ecologist? Go ahead! |
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| I am a biologist with a passion for ecology, plants and statistics. When I was in high school I only thought about studying a career in science. when i hold my in undergraduate in Biology. I worked for 5 years as a botanist. I visited many mega diverse places in my country, such as tropical forest, dry forest, savannahs and deserts. One day I started a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and worked with mathematical models for tropical infectious diseases. I have had to be constant in the desire to pursue the goal of being a scientist, it requires a lot of preparation and dedication. |
| I was born and raised in Colombia but MS PhD posdoc and job in the USA. I do not want to go back to Colombia. I worked for a while in Colombia but the cronyism, corruption, and violence make me leave, it is not worth it, that idea of return to your country to give back it is a huge lie and a scam. It is difficult for non US citizen to apply and compete for jobs in the USA or Europe, and it is frustrating see US citizens that only went to a tropical place for a summer to take field data, or attended and conference in a tropical country that did not even speak native language, to get jobs that more qualified non US citizens cannot apply. |
| I am from a tropical country, and very early in life decided to study something with animals. As I finished high school I entered Biology as a undergrad, but Biology was 5 yrs and a thesis at the time and place. So I took all courses and so on and went several times to the field to learn and do biology. Internet was not as extensive as today and in many areas no wifi connections or cell phones worked back then (it is still that way in several areas were I do field work today in my home country). We had to plan in advance many things, all equipment, books, gear, and so on, to solve whatever was needed; and planning carefully was partly experience, partly funds, and good problem solving with what was available, because there was no return to anyplace with those for over 20 days to several months. I was able to stay in some great places, mainly in the mountains, gather information with a small group of researchers and be fascinated and overwhelmed with biodiversity.Two little of it and its fun but you want more, and to many of it and it may be annoying. I will always remember going upstream in a cloud forest, walking inside the stream and the light becoming dimmer since dusk was coming and the mist covering all while hearing the songs and trills of birds going for their last meal, and the fist sounds of frogs starting… a magical place. I tried to do graduate studies several times, but at that time written letters was the way… and few answers came back, but no grants available. I continued doing ecology and research in the tropics, until years later was able to apply several times to foreign programs, but now through the internet and emails, so communication has been an allied as well as internet, studied ecology and evolution and graduated mixing what I had learned on natural history, ecology and evolution and field experience. I believe many ecological principles apply anywhere in the planet, but some views still on place may be different if more ecological studies are done in the tropics. |
Present
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Note some answers have been translated from their original language or altered by the request of the correspondent
| What advice would you give your past-self or a young researcher from your country? |
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| There is no easy path, all of them require maximum effort. You must try so many times until you get it right. You should never give up on your dreams, mistakes make us gain experience. Making mistakes is not a mistake, it is just part of the trials, without mistakes there are no successes. |
| Leave the country and do not come back. Get another citizenship. |
| Read more on natural history and ecological models and have a broad perspective and don’t believe everything you read or see. Test for yourself whenever possible what seems known and try to find a new way to ask what has been done using all tools available, since many new become available over time. |
Future
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Sentiment - remixed
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Note some answers have been translated from their original language or altered by the request of the correspondent
| Describe your dream of the future as a tropical scientist in a tweet (up to 280 characters). |
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| The science is overwhelming and can be innoptic at first. Just focus and stay on the path until the ideas are illuminated and the concepts are clear. |
| Senior scientists in a NGO or foundation or organization or society |
| New discovery on the way organisms live!!!! they seem to sense and bet more often on the future according to there past experience. Follow up in 20 years. |